The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-05-19
FORTUNE TELLING.

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or cialrvoyant5, and many of thon
still hayo reason 10 mourn tue result
of tboir Intercourse with lhcso suciu
pests. Tho Ph;ladclph.a .Nortl
dncrisli is making wig ,rous war
fare upon this ca q VI sSin llorr, md
its Efforts have resulted in muci
good. In Commenting on tho sub
jet tho E"eninJ BUHttn vcgl
trut5fnily says: Tho fortune tolirr,
indeed, is social nuionhcs, Usual
y u woman, she is tho parent oI
idlencss, intrigue anl cnmo The
people that 80 10 her learn nothing
that is good and frequently mucL
that ie bad. Her influence is almost
always VIGOROUS, aui tho lessors
which eho teaches arc ut variance
with every wholesome precept Of
honesty, thrift aud industry. Too
often she docs not content harsel {
with tho profits of Juggling with tho
tanclcs aud superstitons Of fools,
hut uses her calling as . clock to
darker crimes. Tho abode Of tue
fortune teller is usually tho refuge
OF wickedness aud lawlcssness, aud
the thief, the gambler aud the barlot
look to her for sympathy and Gu
couragcm2ut MS they follow the
sinuous ways OF depravity aud crimo
Tho drones of society, who cannot
gain a living through the Legitimate
methods Of industry, go to her for
luck the women who are tempted
to violate their marriage VOWS go to
her to learn their "destinios"; and
the mon who have no faith in God
or man seek her out to discover
what the "fatos' will decree in their
schemes OF speculation, malice and
revenge.
But it is not simply tho kuavcs
that worship Mt tho Shrino Of the
goddess of luck. There is always a
multitude Of honest fools who flock
around her. The ignorant and the
superstitious, who trust in the mys-
terious readings Of tho stars or in
tho omens which arc revealed in tho
shuflling of n pack Of greasy cards,
arc numbered by tho thousands and
tho tens of thousands in our com.
munity. Not unfrcquoully it hap.
pens that men and women whose
general intelligence in tho ordinary
affairs Of liro might be Thought euf-
ficient to protect them from tho cf-
fccts Il their own crodulity, trust
blindly to tho advice and directions
Of somo miserable crune who pre-
tends to peor into the future. We
believe that tho ndmber Of rurh
people is much greater than is gen
orally supposed The minds of that
class II men and women who sro the
most skoptichl in matters Of religion
who consequently have no faith
which can console aud strengthen
them a. they 0ttomp! TO unravel The
enigmas Of life, aud yet who arc 30
weak that thoy cannot trust their
own Judgments, arc oilon tho most
credulous aud predictions Of those
impostors. Looking upou existence
simply us game OF chance, in which
luck is tho ono an1 ouly element
they regard tho fJrtuno teller rs
guido who may jnit Gs oanily be
trusted as those who believe that
success in every walk OF life is des
pondeut upon oar oboliouce 10 fixed
principles and sound reasoning.
We suppose that this clnss offools
will always exist, aud it may seem
like u waste Of timo to cali in tho
law for their protection II they
have not enough common sense to
take care of thSm 1olyes in such
.hoy arc bound to DO the
dupes sooner or lator VI solno kind
Of folly or iugglery. Yet it is not
easy to contain our patience when
we sec these wretchcd pests Of the
community who practice forc
tuno-telliug furnishing in iilcness
and often in vice on tho eager cred>
ulity Of their victims: They are al!
frauds and humbugs Of tho most
detestable kind, aud every neigh.
borhood is saf,r and better which is
rid Of them. They unsettlo the
minds OF the weak, corrupt tho ins
nocent, demoralize tho young, do
grade the ignorant and cheat all
and in interest Of good morals the
law ought to to deal with tdem in
the most summary fashion.
Bucklen 6 Arnioa Salvo.